That is true for some things and not true for others. One example of the benefit of government intervention in communication, though admittedly an old one, is the regulation of the spectrum so that radio, tv, mobile devices, etc. don't clobber each other.
The average user will certainly benefit from government enforced net neutrality. Without it, ISPs/major carriers will inevitably start leaning on higher activity sites for payments to avoid being throttled. I say inevitably because they're the only ones grumbling about existing net neutrality and the only ones suggesting these types of charges.
Sites like Netflix, Hulu, and other popular high bandwidth sites would have to fork out funds to multiple ISPs/carriers just to keep their sites running quickly. Netflix, etc. will not just eat these charges, they'll pass them along to consumers. So prices will go up, and the only ones benefiting from this will be the ISPs/carriers.
Since this will more or less be a charge hidden to consumers, adoption rate by the ISPs/carriers will be high and quick, as soon as the first one does it.
Government intervention sucks in a lot of situations, but I don't think this is one of them.
Get ready to be squeezed out of internet business, then. FCC Cronies will start regulating all the shit that can be posted on the internet. I can see FCC licensing to start your own business. Yay, more fees and regulations.
Terrible idea
Free speech cannot exist without privacy, and the U.S. government has been shown to be unworthy of guarding the privacy of its citizens. Only the latest revelation of many, Glenn Greenwald’s new book No Place To Hide reveals that the U.S. government tampers with Internet routers during the manufacturing process to aid it’s spying programs. Is this the organization we trust to take even more control of the Internet? Should we believe that under Net Neutrality the government will trust the telecoms to police themselves?
The government will need to verify, at a technical level, whether the telecoms are treating data as they should. Don’t be surprised if that means the government says it needs to be able to install its own hardware and software at critical points to monitor Internet traffic. Once installed, can we trust this government, or any government, to use that access in a benign manner?
While privacy and freedom of speech may not be foremost on your mind today because you like who is running the government right now, remember that government control tends to swing back and forth. How will you feel about the government having increased control of the Internet when Republicans own the House and Senate and Jeb Bush is elected President, all at the same time?
Government intervention sucks in a lot of situations, but I don't think this is one of them.
As much fun as that would be, I save my drinking for gaming.Do you get drunk before you post? All of your replies are always so backwards.
As much fun as that would be, I save my drinking for gaming.
The people who believe the government fucks everything up are just as ill-informed as the people who believe the government must protect us from everything. Balance is required, because carriers WILL fuck up the internet for their own bottom line. It's already starting with ISP tolls being charged to sites like Netflix.
The loss of net neutrality will mean that ISP's will now be making choices for you. How is that different than the government making choices?When your freedom to choose is taken away, you can rest assured in any situation that what you receive will not be that great.
I didn't know this was such a debate. I *thought* the government was pretty much trying to keep things as is,
The people who believe the government fucks everything up are just as ill-informed as the people who believe the government must protect us from everything.
I didn't know this was such a debate. I *thought* the government was pretty much trying to keep things as is, while cable companies on the other hand doing their usual monopoly bullshit. Maybe I'm wrong.
Is the stuff Obama is posing making big pro-gov't changes or is he just trying to cockblock cable companies?
Sidenote: For those who are doing the free market arguing itt, that's bullshit. This is a monopoly scenario. The battle is for who controls & eventually what matters for the public is the intentions of who controls.
Who do you think caused this monopoly situation? The government meddling is the cause of the monopoly and lack of competition. All further regulation will do is make stronger more powerful cartels
Are they trying to insert some new clauses that allow them to do some serious leveraging of sensorship/private data or something?)
Government intervention in anything is almost a guaranteed way to royally fuck it up.
You have a good point. Government probably created the Cable monopoly stuff. However, that damage has already been done. Its kinda like a sunk cost at this point.
Moving forward its choosing the lesser of 2 evils. Everyone has a gripe about each group, but what'll net us a better scenario in the future? Really, what are the intentions of each control group?
Cable Companies: Charge people more $. Maybe they'll innovate something along the way. Or maybe they'll just charge more and laugh all the way to the bank.
Government: (I don't have answer, but their track record in handling anything sucks. I genuinely thought they were just trying to keep net neutrality as is. Are they trying to insert some new clauses that allow them to do some serious leveraging of sensorship/private data or something?)
Sunken costs? Move on? The solution is to bust up the monopolies. Deregulate the cable industry, deregulate all 'utilities' and let the free market sort it out.
Yea I agree, just that's irrelevant because that won't happen. These big companies make the rules, and they won't just 'X' themselves out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oBo8CJxatQ
George Carlin's speech basically sums up my opinion of everything politics. So I move on.
The loss of net neutrality will mean that ISP's will now be making choices for you. How is that different than the government making choices?